Drapery rail apparatus



Oct. 17, 1967 J. J. POTYE DRAPERY RAIL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR JOHN J POTYE BY/fim, dam $0 ATTORNEY Oct. 17,1967 J. J. POTYE DRAPERY RAIL APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22,1965 NW E V m M m J w NOD H W J h Y B ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1967 J. J. POTYE 3,347,306

DRAPERY RAIL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 4 Shets-Sheet s I: v \&Q N

6] 7 G5 FIGIG 66 INVENTOR.

JOHN J POTYE BYh wn,B4- FIG. l7

ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1967 J. J. POTYE DRAPERY RAIL APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet4 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTO R JOHN J. POTYE BY hm, fl I 717a ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Ofiice 3,347,386 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 3,347,306DRAPERY RAH. APPARATUS John J. Potye, 1245 Marengo, Forest Park, Ill.60130 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,974 18 Claims. (Cl. 160-344)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Drapery rail apparatus characterized by upperand lower rails, each of which is formed with upper and lowercurvilinear portions. Drapery supporting rings are snapfitted over sliderings which are positioned on each of the curvilinear rail portions. Apull cord is arranged to operate the drapes through both the upper andlower rails.

This invention is directed to new and useful improvements in the art ofdrapery suspension systems.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applica tion No. 281,192,filed May 17, 1963, now US. Patent 3,222,710, granted Dec. 14, 1965.

The major purposes of the present invention are to create a new,improved and simplified system for attaching, suspending, and operatingpanels of drapery fabric, to so form a system as to minimize pull cordentanglements in the system, to provide a system that maintains thedraperies in a neat upright order, and to provide a drapery rail andpull cord assembly together with hanging means for drapery panels whichare capable of simple and convenient assembly, these and other purposesof the invention being more apparent in the course of the ensuingspecification and claims, when taken with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of drapery panels which may be utilizedwith the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of drapery rail apparatus embodying theprinciples of the present invention, with certain parts being omittedfor purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 3 is a plan or top view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 2,while illustrating certain additional mounting facilities for theapparatus, the cover plate for the upper rail assembly and acord-locking element attached to the cord;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of a rail assembly with attachedcord-locking elements as illustrated in FIG- URES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of a slip ring element illustrated in FIGURES2, 3 and 4;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the element illustrated in FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7is a top view of the element illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 8 is a front view of a cord-locking element illustrated inFIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 9 is an end view of the figure illustrated in FIGURE 8;

of the cord-locking element of FIGURE 9 to a drapery pull cord and adrapery suspending member;

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cover for the cut-out medialportion of a rail assembly as it is being snapped in place on theassembly;

FIGURE 13 is an end view of a rail mounting bracket having a draperyrail assembled thereon;

FIGURE 14 is a front view of the assembled bracket and rail of FIGURE 13and illustrating the relation of pull cords thereto, with certainportions being shown in section for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 15 .is a top or plan view of the mounting bracket illustrated inFIGURES 13 and 14;

FIGURE 16 is a side view of a drapery suspending hook which may beutilized in accordance with the principles of the invention; and

FIGURE 17 is a side view of another form of drapery suspending hookwhich may be utilized with the principles of the persent invention.

FIGURE 18 is a perspective view of a modified form of drapery rail whichincorporates the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 19 is a perspective view of a supporting bracket which may beutilized with the rail embodiment of FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 20 is a sectional view of the assembled rail and supportingbracket of FIGURES 18 and 19; and

FIGURE 21 is a plan view of a portion of the assembly illustrated inFIGURE 20.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instanceto FIGURE 1, 20 and 21 designate drapery panels which, in accordancewith conventional drapery practice, have pleated portions 22 at theupper edges thereof, which pleated portions may extend throughout theentire length or height of the panels, if desired. As illustrated in thedrawings, drapery suspending members 23 are fixed to each group ofpleated portions at the upper margins thereof and at the lower marginsthereof. In the form of drapery panels illustrated in FIGURE 1, bothupper and lower portions of the panels are adapted to be held by draperyrail and operating apparatus as is illustrated in FIGURE 2. Certain ofthe suspending members 23 may be formed with recesses 23b which areadapted to engage slip rings in a manner to be pointed out more fullyhereinafter. These members 23 include lower surfaces 230 which areadapted for abutting relation with drapery rails, all as is inaccordance with the principles set forth in my copending application,Serial No. 271,387, filed in the United States: Patent Office on April8, 1963, now U.S. Patent No. 3,223,148, issued December 14, 1965.Certain other suspending and hold ing members 23a may include verticallyspaced pairs of recesses 23d for attachment to plural rails as isillustrated in FIGURE 2.

It should be understood that, while the panels illustrated in FIGURE 1are particularly adapted for use with drapery rail apparatus having bothmounting and operating rail assemblies for the upper and lower portionsof the panels, the principles of the invention can also be applied todrapery systems wherein the draperies are suspended and operated fromtheir upper marginal portions only.

The drapery panels, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, are adapted to be fixedto upper and lower rail assemblies generally designated at 24 and 25.These rail assemblies, as seen in FIGURE 2, are adapted to extendgenerally horizontally across the upper and lower portions of a windowor opening which is to be spanned by the drapery panels. The upper andlower rail assemblies are each fixed to a supporting wall structurethrough use of brackets 26 and 26a which are adapted to support theopposite ends of the rails and which are fixed to a supporting wallstructure such as generally designated at 27.

Each of the upper and lower rail ascsemblies is preferably identicallytormed and is illustrated in detail in FIG- URES 4 and 12. Each rail ispreferably defined from relatively thin sheet material, such as sheetsteel, which is formed to define upper and lower rail portions 28 and29,

respectively. These upper and lower portions 28 and 29 are formed withcurvilinear cross sections, as is seen in FIGURE 4, and are connected bya medial portion of the strip 38. The upper and lower portions 28 and 29are spaced outwardly from the middle portion 30 so that the curvilinearsurfaces theerof face outwardly and toward the drapery panels to besuspended thereon. The curvilinear portions 28 and 29 are formed as amajor portion of a circle while leaving inwardly facing slots 31 and 32for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.

The rail supporting brackets 26 and 26a are similarly formed with flangeportions 33 which are adapted to be fixed to the supporting wallsurface. These brackets, as is best seen in FIGURES 13, 14 and 15,include arm portions 34 which are adapted to extend generallyperpendicularly from the wall portions. Upper and lower tubularprojections 35 and 36 are formed at the outer ends of the arm portionsand are spaced in accordance with the spacing of the upper and lowerportions 28 and 29 of the rails. These upper and lower projections 35and 36 are adapted to snugly receive the ends of the tubular portions 23and 29 of the rails. Spaced flanges 37 are formed on the ends of the armportions 34 in alignment with the openings through the projections 35and 36. These flanges 37 serve to support pulleys 38 and 39 as is seenbest in FIGURE 14. Thus, lengths of drapery pull cords 40 and 41 may bepassed over pulleys 33 and 39 and through the tubular portions 23 and 29and through the supporting brackets therefor. The upper and lowerprojections 35 and 36 may have ridgelike projections 42 at the outerends'thereof for the purpose of providing confinement for the draperysuspending member at the end of the drapery panel positioned adjacent tothe mounting brackets.

It should be understood that both the upper rail assembly 24 and thelower rail assembly 25, as seen in FIG- URE 2, may be fixed to andsupported from the wall surface by brackets of the type illustrated inFIGURES 13, 14 and 15. A medial section of each of the upper and lowertube-like portions 28 and 29 of the rail assemblies may be cut away asat 43 to allow exposure of the drapery draw cords at these points.Suitable covers, as are illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 12, may be providedto fit with the cut-out sections of the rails. For example, covers 44may have medial portions adapted to overlie and fit against the medialportions of the rails with curvilinear end portions 46 and 47 adaptedfor a snap fitting overlying engagement with the rails.

Each of the upper and lower portions 28 and 29 is adapted to receive aplurality of slip rings 48. Slip rings 48 are defined as essentiallytubular members as is best seen in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. These tubularmembers are formed with inner diameters corresponding generally to thediameters of the rail portions 28 and 29. Each is formed so as to definethe major portion of a circle while leaving an outwardly divergentopening or recess 49. This opening or recess 49 is for the purpose ofallowing the curvilinear portions 28 and 25 to be passed therethrough sothat the rings are positioned over the rails. The material of theserings is slightly resilient so as to allow expansion thereof to receivethe rail por.'ions. Each of these rings 48 includes spaced flanges 50and 51 which are positioned on the outer surface thereof so as toconfine the drapery suspending members 23 or 23a therebetween.

A cord-locking ring is also slidably mounted on each of the upper andlower rail portions 28 and 29. The cordlocking rings 52 are illustratedin detail in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 and are formed in a fashion similar tothe slide rings 48 of FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. Each cord-locking ring, forexample, has the characteristic flanges or projections 53 and 54 so asto receive the drapery suspending mem bers 23 or 23a therebetween.Cord-locking rings also have the characteristic recess 55 so as to allowthe rings to be passed over the rings 28 and 29. The cord-locking ringsare provided with arms 56 which extend inwardly from the outer wall ofthe ring at one side of the recess. These arms 56 extend generallyinwardly with respect to the rings. Arms 56 terminate at their innerextremities in curvilinear portions 57 which extend about the generalcenter of the ring 52. These portions 57 are adapted to receive thedrapery pull cord 40 in a removable snapfitting engagement.

Other forms of suspending members for the drapery panels may be utilizedwith the rail assemblies. For example, a form of hook is illustrated inFIGURE 16. In FIGURE 16 the hook is defined by a single piece ofWirelike stock 58 which is bent into the configuration illustrated so asto provide a curvilinear portion 59 at one end of the wire and at theupper end of the hook. This curvilinear portion 59 terminated in arearwardly facing opening 60. Curvilinear portion 59 defines a majorportion of a circle while the opening 60 is large enough, with respectto the resiliency of the wire, as to allow the curvilinear portion to beexpanded and snap-fitted over the upper rail portion 28. The wire 53 isbent forwardly from the lower portion of the curvilinear portion 59 andthen bent downwardly to provide a more or less straight portion 61 whichis generally aligned with the outermost surface 62 of the curvilinearportion 59. The wire is then bent upwardly along a line extendinggenerally in parallelism with the straight portion 61 and terminates atits other end in a point 63 which may be positioned generally alongsidethe curvilinear portion 55. With the form of suspending memberillustrated in FIGURE 16, the curvilinear portion 59 is snapped over theupper rail 28 while the straight portion is adapted to bear against thelower rail 29. Thus, with either the form of suspending member 23 orthat form illustrated in FIGURE 16, the draperies are held upright inview of the fact that the drapery panels are engaged at upper and lowerspaced points with the rail assemblies.

Another form of suspending member is illustrated in FIGURE 17. In FIGURE17, for example, a hook 64 is bent to provide an upper curvilinearportion 65 similar to the curvilinear portion 59 in FIGURE 16'. Anothercurvilinear portion 66 is defined below at curvilinear portion 65 so asto engage the lower curvilinear section 29 of the rail. The other end ofthe hook terminates at a point at its upper end. The point may be formedat the end of a section 67 which extends in general parallelism to aline between the centers of the curvilinear portions 65 and 66.Curvilinear portions 65 and 66, as is the case with the curvilinearportions of the other suspending members, are each formed as an arewhich comprises a major portion of a circle so that the curvilinearportions may be snap-fitted over the rings for a removable engagementtherewith.

The drapery suspending apparatus as herein illustrated and described iseasily assembled and operated. The upper and lower rail sections may, ifdesired, be formed as adjustable telescoping sections as is more or lesscustomary in drapery rails. After installation of brackets 26 and 2612the rail 24-is easily mounted thereon simply by inserting the oppositeends of the rail within the tubular projections 35 and 36. The upper andlower pull cord sections 40 and 41 may be inserted in the rails andthrough the brackets either before or after mounting of the rails on thebrackets. In this regard installation of the pull cords requires onlythat they be passed through the relatively small openings in thebrackets because thereafter the cord is easily fitted into the upper andlower rail sections 28 and 29 simply by passing the cord through theslotted openings at the rears of the rail sections. The cord may beinitially inserted only through the openings in the brackets 26 and 26aprior to installation of the rails. In this event the rails may beinserted into the brackets in such Wise that the cord is receivedthrough the slots leading to the interiors of the rails.

After assembly of the rails on the brackets, the slip rings 48 andcord-locking rings 52 are positioned over the rails. A singlecord-locking ring is provided on each of the upper and lower portions 28and 29 of the rails while any number of slip rings 48 may be provided inaccordance with desires and experience with the over-all width of theopening to be spanned by the drapes. Both the slip rings 48 andcord-locking rings 52 are simply snap-fitted over their matingcurvilinear portions 28 and 29. The cord-locking rings are positioned onthe rails in such wise that they are closest to the centers of therails. Prior to fitting the cord-locking rings 52 over the rails theyare engaged with the cord. For example, the cord may be pulled outwardlyfrom the cutaway portion of the rails 43, as is illustrated in FIGURE 3,and the cord fitted within the curvilinear portion 57 of these rings.The ring is then snap-fitted over the upper and lower rail portion withwhich it is associated and the cover 44 is then snap-fitted over therail section. After assembly of the slip rings and cord-locking rings,the drapery panels are snap-fitted over the flanges of the severalrings. The outermost ends of the drapery panels may have suspendingmembers 23 which are snap-fitted over the tubular projections 35 and 36of the brackets in such wise that the suspending members are confinedbetween the flange 42 and the flanges 37 of the brackets.

By using both upper and lower curvilinear rail portions 28 and 29, thedrapery is suspended not only on the upper rail 28 but the drapery mayalso bear against the lower rail 29, thereby preventing swingingmovement of the drapery inwardly with respect to the opening spanned bythe drapery panels. By using the engagement between both upper and lowerrail portions 28 and 29, the upper section of the panels is held neatlyin a Vertical position, and swinging movement of the panels eitherinwardly or outwardly is thus minimized. Use of the upper and lower railsections 28 and 29 also provides separate channels for the upper andlower sections of the cords 40' and 41, respectively, thus minimizingentanglement of the cords with one another. Such entanglement of thepull cords is further minimized by the fact that the slip rings for thepanels engage the outer portions of the rails. Thus, the onlyobstruction to the passage of the cord within the rails is the singlearm 56 to which the cord is fixed. In some cases the frictional bindingengagement of the cord within the curvilinear portion 57 is suificientto prevent slippage of the cord. In other cases slippage may beprevented altogether by providing small abutments, such as knots on thecord on opposite sides of the arms 57.

The principles of the invention may be utilized with upper and lowerrail assemblies 24 and 25 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 so as to positivelyfix both upper and lower marginal portions of the panels to theoperating cord. In this event the upper cord length 40 is passed throughthe bracket 26, makes a U-turn for passage through the lower railportion 29 of this rail assembly to define the cord 41. Cord 41 thenpasses through the lower rail portion 29 of the lower assembly, makes aU- turn through the bracket 26 for the lower rail assembly to define thecord length 40* passing through the upper rail portion 28 of the lowerassembly. When so arranged,

-the left-hand panel is fixed to a cord-locking ring 52 on the upperrail portion 28 of the upper rail assembly 24 and a cord-locking ring 52on the lower rail portion 29 of the lower rail assembly 25. Theright-hand panel is fixed to a cord-locking ring 52 on the lower railportion 29 of the upper rail assembly 24 and a cord-locking ring 52 onthe upper portion 28 of the lower assembly 25. Thus, pulling downwardlyon one or the other of cords 40 and 41 will cause the drapes to movetoward and away from the closed and open positions.

The principles of the invention may also be used with assemblies whereinonly the upper portions of the drapes are suspended. In this event asingle rail assembly 24 is provided for the upper portion of the openingto be spanned by the drapes. One panel is fixed to a cord-locking ringon the upper rail portion 28 while the other 6 panel is fixed to thecord-locking ring on the lower portion 29 of the rail assembly. Pullingdownwardly on one or the other of the cords 40 or 41 will cause thepanels to move toward and away from the open and closed positions.

FIGURES 18 through 21, inclusive, illustrate the principles of theinvention with different supporting means for the drapery rails. InFIGURE 18 an upper rail 124 is illustrated. It should be understood thatin FIGURES 18 through 21, inclusive, the support for the rail may beused with both upper and lower rails in place of the upper and lowerrails 24 and 25 in FIGURE 2. In FIGURE 18 the rail 124 is adapted to befixed to a wall or ceiling as by means of the bracket 126 illustrated inFIGURES 19 and 20. Rail 124 has upper and lower rail portions 128 and129 which are connected by a medial portion 130. The upper and lowerrail portions 128 and 129 are medial portion 130 are formed in themanner of the upper and lower rail portions and medial portions 28, 29and 30 in FIGURE 4 with the exception that the medial portion of therail has upper and lower rectilinear flanges 131 and 132 formed thereon.These flanges 131 and 132 extend for the full length of the rail and arepositioned in spaced relationship to the rearwardly facing openings ofthe upper and lower rail portions 128 and 129. These mounting flanges131 and 132 are adapted to be received within slots 133' and 134'defined between a lower flange 133 and an upper flange 134 of leg 1260of mounting bracket 126.

Mounting bracket 126 is formed as an angle so that one leg 126a thereofmay be fixed to a ceiling as by means of screws passed through mountingholes 1261). The other leg 126c of the angle has the flange 133 formedintegrally therewith at the bottom thereof so as to provide a slot forthe reception of lower flange 132 as shown in FIG- URE 18. The upperflange 134 is adjustably mounted on the leg 126a as by means of a screwpassed through an adjusting slot 126d as appears in FIGURE 19. Theadjustability of the upper flange 134 enables a clamping engagement ofthe mounting flanges 131 and 132 with the flanges 133 and 134 in themanner illustrated in FIG- URE 20.

FIGURE 20 illustrates use of the same mounting bracket as FIGURE 19 withan additional wall mounting bracket 126e which is fixed to a wall. Inthis case the mounting bracket 126 is held in the desired location byfixing it to the wall mounting bracket 126:: as by means of screws orthe like 126 The end brackets for each drapery rail are similar to theend brakets illustrated in FIGURES 13, 14 and 15 with the exception thatthese brackets are not supported on a wall or ceiling structure. Thesebrackets have tubular portions 135 and 136 which make a frictional fitwith the upper and lower portions 128 and 129. Each bracket may havespaced flanges 137 at the outer sides thereof which flanges carry cordsupporting rollers 138 and 139 for the cord 40 which is passed throughthe tubular upper and lower portions 128 and 129.

Each of the tubular portions or projections 135 and 136 may haveridge-like projections 142 at the railreceiving ends thereof for thepurpose of providing confinement for the drapery suspending member atthe end of the drapery rail portion adjacent to the roller-supportingbrackets.

The rail structure illustrated in FIGURES 18 through 21, inclusive, maybe made according to the principles set forth with respect to FIGURES 1through 17 and arranged in a similar manner so as to receivecord-locking rings and slip rings for the purpose of holding drapery andallowing manipulation of the same. Also, the rails may include cutoutportions in a fashion similar to that illustrated at 43 in FIGURES l and2 for the same purpose and with the cutout portions provided with coverssimilar to that illustrated at 44 in FIGURE 12.

While the rail sections may be defined from sheet metal stampings, theymay also be defined from plastic sections of the configurationillustrated and described herein. The brackets 26 and 26a for the railsmay be formed from plastic material or metallic materials. The sliprings and cord-locking rings may be defined from either molded plasticmaterials or relatively thin sheet metal materials having resilientcharacteristics such that they may be expanded resiliently to enable thesnap-filling engagement with the rails. Whereas I have shown anddescribed an operative form of the invention, it should be understoodthat this showing and description thereof should be taken in anillustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications inand to the invention which will fall within the scope and spirit thereofand which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of theinvention should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafterappended claims.

I claim:

1. A drapery rail including an elongated member having spaced upper andlower portions, said upper and lower portions being separated by amedial portion connected thereto, said upper and lower portions havingcurvilinearly-formed cross sections throughout substantially the entirelength thereof, said upper and lower portions having curvilinearoutwardly facing surfaces, spaced outwardly from said medial portion,said rail having portions between said surfaces and said medial portionto thereby space said upper and lower portions laterally from saidmedial portion.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower portions arehollow.

3. The structure of claim '1 wherein said upper and lower portions arehollow and have elongated slots defined therein, said slots providingaccess to the hollow interiors thereof, said slots being formed to facelaterally in the direction of said medial portion.

4. A drapery rail assembly including spaced brackets formed and adaptedfor mounting on a wall, each bracket including a supporting arm portionand upper and lower projections extending laterally from said armportion, an elongated rail having spaced hollow upper and lowerportions, said upper and lower rail portions having the ends thereofengaged with the upper and lower projections of said brackets, draperysupporting slip rings slidably mounted on each of said upper and lowerrail portions, and a drapery pull cord passed through one of saidbrackets, through said hollow "upper portion of said rail, reversedthrough said other bracket and returned through said hollow lowerportion of said rail, at least one slip ring on said lower portion beingfixed to the length of cord in the portion on which the ring is mounted.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said projections havecylindrically-formed surfaces and said rail portions are cylindricallyformed for a sliding supporting engagement with said projections.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein said upper and lower rail portionshave openings formed medially thereof so as to allow access to the cordin said portions, and cover means are removably fitted over saidopenings.

7. A drapery support assembly including an upper rail formed and adaptedto span the top of a wall area and a lower rail formed and adapted toextend across the bottom of the wall area, spaced brackets formed andadapted to support each of said rails away from said wall area, eachrail being comprised of hollow upper and lower portions, draperysupporting slip rings slidably mounted on said upper and lower portionsof each of said rails and a drapery pull cord passed through the hollowportions of said rails, said cord extending out of the upper portion ofeach rail into the lower portion of the same rail at one end of therails and out of corresponding portions of the upper rail intocorresponding portions of the lower rail at the other end of rails, atleast one slip ring on each rail being fixed to the length of cord inthe rail portion on which the ring is mounted.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which the hollow upper and lower portionsof each rail are essentially circular in cross section and are spacedoutwardly from said mounting wall.

9. The structure of claim 7 in which the hollow upper and lower portionsof each rail are separated by a medial portion connected thereto.

10. The structure of claim 7 wherein said upper and lower portions ofeach of said rails have openings formed medially thereof so as to allowaccess to the cord in said portions, and cover means are removablyfitted over said openings.

11. A drapery rail assembly including spaced brackets formed and adaptedfor mounting on a wall an elongated rail extending between the bracketsand supported thereby, each bracket including a supporting arm portion,cord receiving and supporting means, and upper and lower hollowprojections extending laterally therefrom, each projection having openends with curvilinearly-formed interior walls, each projection having anopening formed and adapted to face said mounting wall and extending fromthe exterior into the interior of the projection, said elongated railhaving spaced upper and lower portions separated by a medial portionconnected thereto, said upper and lower portions having curvilinearlyformed cross sections at the ends thereof, said upper and lower portionsdefining rail surfaces, said surfaces being spaced outwardly from saidmedial portion, said upper and lower portions being formed and adaptedto receive and carry slidable drapery support means, the upper and lowerend portions of said rail being insertable through the opening in acorresponding projection of a bracket to be slidably received by theprojection.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein the upper and lower portions ofthe rail are hollow and the cord receiving and supporting means of thebrackets are aligned with the interiors of the rail portions.

13. The structure of claim 12 wherein the upper and lower portions ofthe rail have elongated slots defined therein, said slots providingaccess to the hollow interiors thereof.

14. A drapery rail assembly including spaced brackets formed and adaptedfor mounting on a wall and an elongated rail extending between thebrackets and supported thereby, each bracket including a supporting armportion, cord receiving and supporting means and a hollow projectionextending laterally therefrom, said projection having open ends withcurvilinearly formed interior walls, said projection having an openingadapted to face said mounting wall and extending from the exterior tothe interior of the projection, said elongated rail formed and adaptedto receive and carry slidable drapery support means, the rail having endportions of curvilinearly formed cross section which are insertablethrough said wall facing openings in said projections to be slidablyreceived by the projections.

15. Drapery rail assembly including a rail comprised of hollow upper andlower elongated portions, means for supporting said rail on a buildingstructure, a bracket mounted on said means at each end of said rail andhaving upper and lower portions engaged with the ends of said upper endand lower portions of said rail, drapery supporting slip rings slidablymounted on each of said upper and lower portions and a drapery pull cordpassed through one of said brackets, through said hollow upper portionof said rail reversed through the other bracket and returned throughsaid hollow lower portion of said rail, at least one slip ring on onerail portion bieng fixed to the length of cord in the portion on whichthe ring is mounted.

'16. The structure of claim 15 wherein said supporting means is formedas an extension of said bracket.

17. The structure of claim 15 wherein each bracket includes a flangeclamped to the medial portion of said rail.

18. The structure of claim 15 wherein a second simi- 9 larly formed railis adapted to be supported on said building structure in verticallyspaced relation to said first rail and said cord is passed through thehollow portions of each of said rails, each of said rails having draperysupporting slip rings slidably mounted on the upper and lower portionsthereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,493,057 5/1924 Van Patten16-87.2

Kurtz 211-1052 Dover et a1 211-105.2 Rosenbaum 160347 Potye 160348 Potye1687.2

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,347,306 October 17, 1967 John J. Potye It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 8, line 14, for "wall an" read wall and an line 61, for"portions" read projections line 62, strike out "end"; same column 8,line 68, for "bieng" read being Signed and sealed this 12th day ofNovember 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

4. A DRAPERY RAIL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SPACED BRACKETS FORMED AND ADAPTEDFOR MOUNTING ON A WALL, EACH BRACKET INCLUDING A SUPPORTING ARM PORTIONAND UPPER AND LOWER PROJECTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID ARMPORTION, AN ELONGATED RAIL HAVING SPACED HOLLOW UPPER AND LOWERPORTIONS, SAID UPPER AND LOWER RAIL PORTIONS HAVING THE ENDS THEREOFENGAGED WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER PROJECTOINS OF SAID BRACKETS, DRAPERYSUPPORTING SLIP RINGS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID UPPER AND LOWERRAILS PORTIONS, AND A DRAPERY PULL CORD PASSED THROUGH ONE OF SAIDBRACKETS, THROUGH SAID HOLLOW UPPER PORTION OF SAID RAIL, REVERSEDTHROUGH SAID OTHER BRACKET AND RETURNED THROUGH SAID HOLLOW LOWERPORTION OF SAID RAIL, AT LEAST ONE SLIP RING ON SAID LOWER PORTION BEINGFIXED TO THE LENGTH OF CORD IN THE PORTION ON WHICH THE RINGS ISMOUNTED.